At UN, Russia And Germany’s Top Diplomats Hold First Talks Since 2022

The foreign ministers of Russia and Germany met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly ‌on Saturday in the first such talks since before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Relations between Moscow and Berlin, a close ally of Ukraine, have been frozen since the Russian invasion, and tensions escalated further after a drone incident at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany in August.
In a sign of the continued frostiness, Russian Foreign Minister ​Sergey Lavrov told a news conference that he had learned nothing new from his German counterpart in the talks that ​Berlin had not already said publicly in its official statements.
“I told him that frankly … you could just have ⁠called me and said: ‘read my statement’,” Lavrov said.
Still, the ministers discussed bilateral ties and the war in Ukraine, officials from both sides said.
German Foreign ​Minister Johann Wadephul used the talks to urge Lavrov to do “everything possible to reach an agreement on grain exports via the Black Sea,” ​a German delegation source said. The meeting comes amid diplomatic efforts to revive Russia and Ukraine’s Black Sea grain and energy exports that have been sharply curtailed by attacks on vessels and port infrastructure.
Lavrov told the news conference that Russia had been in talks with India, Egypt and Turkey about proposals to ​ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, potentially involving bilateral deals between Russia and those countries.
“There is a need for separate discussions ​with the Ukrainians, and not in the language of requests, but rather demands,” he said, blaming Ukraine for the attacks on vessels.
Ukraine has said it ‌is open ⁠to agreements and blames all the fallout from the war on Russia and its invasion.
Wadephul told Lavrov, “Time is of the essence: given the food shortages in many countries — particularly in the Global South — all parties must be willing to engage constructively,” the German delegation source said.